Pile-driving apparatus



A. G. ROTINOFF.

PILE DRIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED IUIII: I7. |921- Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PILE-DRIVING APPARATUS.

speciation of Letters Patent. Patented sept. 2o, 1921.

Application led Jv'une 17, 1921. Serial No. 478,308.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALEXANDER GEORGIE- vrroHRo'rINoFr, a Russian citizen, residing at London, England, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Pile-Driving Apparatus', of whichthe following is a specification, and for which I have filed anapplication, Vbla-11,113, in Great Britain, on A ril 21, 1920.

his invention is for an improved method and means for driving hollowpiles or effecting liketoperations, and has for its object to enablehollow piles, or other tubular structures, especially those ofconsiderable length, to be driven or sunk more efficiently than is atpresent possible. If piles are driven by a monkey operating upon thebottom of the pile at the back of the nose there is atendency for thetubular sections of the body portion of the pile to become dislocated orfractured, by reason of the retarding effects of friction at the sidesand also the inertia of the main body of the pile. On the other hand, ifthe blows are applied to the upper end only, the same retarding forcestend to cause the body portion of the pile to crumple, or its sectionsto become dislocated. Again, the spring in the length of tubing isconsiderable, and this greatly reduces the effectiveness of the blows,whether they are applied solely to the lower end or solely to the upperend of the pile.

According to this invention apparatus for driving a hollow pile or likehollow structure by blows applied" at different points simultaneouslycomprises two separate monkeys, one mounted within the hollow structureimmediately at the back of the nose of such structure and the other atthe top of the Structure, and means involving in itself a comparativelysmall inertia effect, for ex= ample a cable, for connecting the twomonkeys whereby the two monkeys may be rai-sed and lowered as one.

It will be appreciated that a long rigid member extending from thebottom monkey to a point where it'would have contact with the uppermonkey would have disadvantages owing to the fact of its inertia andspring, and if the inertia effect were overcome by rigidly securing 1tto thel upper monkey, the disadvantages of a spring of a lon memberwould still remain.

Igreferably, both 0f the monkeys and the means for raising them (forexample, a fixed member, such as a piston constituting one part of avertically operating cylinder and piston) are carried bodily upon thestructure to be driven so that the useful welght of these parts is atall times operat1ve upon the plile. The connection between the two moneys may be provided with means of ad]ustment, for example a spring andone or more adjusting nuts for a rod or rods comprised in suchconnection.

The lower monkey ma take the form of a sohd block of material, but theupper monkey may be made hollow to constitute a cylinder for a fixedpiston. i

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 1s a central vertical sectionthroughthe apparatus constructed according to one method of carrying outthis invent'ion;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section through the apparatus constructedaccording to anotler method of carrying out this invention, an

Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the apparatus on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the drlving tube A is operated uponby a monkey B within the tube, which strikes the back of the nose B1 ofthe tube and is also operated uponlby a monkey C which strikes the topof the tube. The nose B1 is screwed into the tube A in the usual manner,and has a shoulder B3 against which a surrounding ring B4 bears. T heobject of this ring B4 is to provide a wider opening than that affordedby the nose B1 itself, and to accommodate a caslng-tube hereinafterreferred to so that the driving-tube A with the nose B1 secured'to itcan afterward be bodily withdrawn leavmg the ring B4 and the casing-tuben situ. The upper end of the driving-tube carries a cap D to which issecured a centrally-arranged piston D1. The iston is carried bv a hollowrod D2 from t `e cap D, and the monkey C is made hollow to constitute acylinder for this piston. Steam is admitted at E to the interior of thecylinder by a iexible conduit indicated in chain-line at E1. Thecylinder carries a centrally-situated rod F whose lower end is connectedto the monkey Bvby a cable F1 and this rod extends through adownwardlydirected guide-tube C1 on the cylinder which has slidingconnection with the piston' D1 by way of a stuffing-box.

Outside the driving-tube A is a casingtube G which is driven from itsupper end by means of a collar G1 placed between it and the cap D whichrests on the drivingtube A. The lower end of this casing-tube rests onthe ring B1 and thus the casing-tube assists in driving the ringforward.

The cable F1 is so adjusted by means of a spiral spring H and nuts H1 atthe top of the rod F, that if the monkey C is raised b the admission ofsteam through the port the monkey B of course being raised with it, bothmonkeys will strike their respective supports as they descend when thesteam is exhausted by way of the port E. Any means may be provided forcontrolling the inlet and exhaust of the steam.

It will be seen from the above that the pile receives simultaneous blowsat different goints, namely at the bottom by the monkey and the top bythe monkey C, or the ad- 'ustment could be so arranged that these lowsinstead of falling simultaneously succeed one another rapidly.

It will be seen from the above description that the monkey B drives thenose of the pile forward, and the stress which would be put upon thebody of the pile by this action 1s relieved by the operation of theupper monkey C which drives the tubular body part forward at the sameinstant as the nose 1s driven forward when the blows are arranged tooperate simultaneously. The upper monkey C hasl only to apply sufficientforce to the pile to cause the body portion to overcome'the inertia ofthe said body and the resistance offered by friction so that it does nottend to crumple the pile or dislocate the various sections of which itmay be composed, in the same manner as it would if it had to overcomethe said inertia and friction and also had to drive the nose B1 forward.

If desired, the driving-tube A with all the driving apparatus could beremoved when the necessary depth` has been reached, and the exteriorcasing G with the nose B1 alone left n situ.

In some cases it may be preferred to so arrange the upper monkey thatthe flexible tube E1, or other tube supplying the steam, need not bemovable with the monkey. Such an arrangement is shown in Figs. 2 and 3where the pile-driving tube J is provided with a nose J1 as before andcarries a cap J 2 as before, but the fixed piston K instead of beingcarried from the cap J2 is made to depend from the upper portion of askeleton frame K1. Steam 1s admitted by a fixed conduit K2 to theinterior of the fixed piston K and escapes thence into the chamberprovided for it in the movable cylinder L. This chamber is formed in adownward pile driving apparatus extension L1 of the cylinder and thesteam operates to thrust the cylinder upward until the exhaust is openedto the interior of the piston K, for example, by a hand-operated valveK3. The bottom part of the extension L1 is provided with ports Lz toallow free ingress and egress of air.

To connect the movable cylinder of upper monkey L with the lower monkeyM a double cable M1 is rovided which is loo ed around a pulley 2 carriedb the mo ey and spring-controlled as at and has its free ends connectedto rods M4, one on each side of the extension L1 of the cylinder.

These rods extend through the ca J2 and the upper portion of thecylinder and are carried by springs M5 and nuts M6. These nuts can beadjusted to regulate the operative length of the cable M1 so thatsimultaneous blows may be struck by the monkeys L and M if desired. Toprevent the cylinder L.

from rotary movement, it is provided with jaws L3 which engageinwardly-directed webs K1 on the upper members of the frame K1. l

The upper part of the pile-tube J may be strengthened by a split collarJ3 placed` around it, and provided with ears J 4 whereby the two halvescan be clamped together.

Such a collar could'also be employed instead of the collar G1 in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that in the construction of described, both monkeys areat all times supported by the pile which they are driving so that theiruseful weight is at all times operative upon the pile. v

Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the driving of piles, asit can be equally well applied to the sinking of bore holes or wells,means being provided within the hollow structure to receive the blows ofthe bottom monkey.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is 1.For driving tubular structures into the` soil, the combination of, atubular member, a tapered nose at the lower end thereof having drivingconnection with the tubular member, a monkey guided to rise and fall inan approximately vertical path and in falling to strike the top of thetubular member, a

second monkey within the ltubular membery ing driving connection withthe tubular member, a monkey guided to rise and fall in an approximatelyve-rtical path and in falling to strike the top of the tubular member, asecond monkey within the tubular member and immediately behind the noseof the same, means for causing the upper monkey to rise and to bedropped alternately on to the top of the tubular member, and flexiblemeans, that is a cable or chain, connecting the lower monkey to theupper monkey whereby the lower monkey is made to follow the movements'ofthe upper monkey.

3. For driving tubular structures into the soil, the combination of, atubular member, a tapered vnose at the lower end thereof having drivingconnection with the tubular member,` a monkey guided to rise and fall inan approximately vertical path and in falling to strike the top of thetubular member, a second monkey within the tubular member andimmediately behind the nose of the same, means for causing the uppermonkey to rise and to be dropped alternately on to the top of thetubular member, non-rigid means having in itself a comparatively smallinertia effect connecting the lower monkey to the upper monkey, wherebythe lower monkey is made to follow the movements of the u per monkey,and-means for adjust- `ing t e effective length of the connectionbetween the two monkeys.

4. For driving tubular structures into the soil, the combination of, atubular member, a tapered nose at the lowerend thereof having drivingconnection with the tubular member, a monkey guided to rise and fall inan approximately vertical path and in falling to strike the top ofthe-tubular member, a second monkey within the tubular member andimmediately behind the nose of the same, means for causing the uppermonkey to rise and to be dropped alternately on to the top of thetubular member, non-rigid means having in itself a comparatively smallinertia effect connecting the lower monkey to the upper monkey wherebythe lower monkey is made to follow the movements of the upper monkey,and a screwthreaded rod for the upper end of the connecting means havingon it an adjustingnut and a spring operating between the nut and asupporting part of the monkey whereby adjustment of the operative lengthof the connection can be made.

5. For driving tubular Structures into the soil, th'e combination of at-ubular member, a tapered -nose at the lower end thereof having drivingconnection kwith the tubular member, a. monkey comprising acylinderelement and a piston-element, one of these elements being fixedon the top of the tubular member and the other sliding on it andconstituting an upper monkey to strike the top of the tubular member, asteam-pipe connected to one of the elements to admit steam to effe-ctthe requisite alternate lifting and dropping of the monkey, a secondmonkey within the tubular member and immediately behind the nose of thesame.-

6. For driving tubular structures into the soil the combination of, atubular member, a tapered nose at the lower end thereof having drivingconnection with the tubular member,-a frame on the top of the tubularmember carrying a depending fixed piston the rod of which is hollow, ahollow monkey constituting a working cylinder for the piston and guidedto slide vertically thereon, the working chamber being provided betweenthe upper side of the piston and the underside of the hollow interior ofthe monkey, means for admitting steam down the hollow piston-rod to theworking cylinder through orifices provided at the piston end, a secondmonkey mounted within the tubular member` immediately behind the nose ofthe same, and non-rigid means, having in itself a comparatively smallinertia effect, connecting the lower monkey to the upper monkey, wherebythe lower monkey is made to follow the movements of the upper monkey.

7. For driving soil the combination of, a tubular member,

a tapered nose at the lower end thereof having driving connection. withthe tubular member, a frame on the top of the tubulan member carrying adepending fixed piston the, rod of which is hollow, a hollow monkeyconstituting a working cylinder for the piston and guided to slidevertically thereon the working chamber being rovided between the upperside of the piston and the underside of the hollow interior of themonkey, means for admitting steam down the hollow piston-rod to theworking cylinder throughoriices provided at the piston end, a secondmonkey mounted within the tubular member immediately behind the nose ofthe same, and a double flexible connection extending from the uppermonkey one portion on each side of the cylinder of the same down to thelower monkey with which it has operative connection so that the lowermonkey follows the movements of the upper monkey.

8. For driving tubular structures into the soil the combination of,atubular mamber, a tapered nose at the lower end thereof having drivingconnection with the tubular member, a frame on the top of the tubularmember carrying a depending fixed piston, the rod of which is hollow, ahollow monkey constituting a working cylinder for the piston' and guidedto slide vertically thereon, the working chamber being provided betweenthe upper side of the piston and the underside of the hollow interior ofthe monkey, means for admitting steam down 'the hollow pistubularstructures into the f ton-rod to the working cylinder through orificesprovided at the piston end, a second monkey mounted within the tubularmember immediately behind the nose of the same, and a flexibleconnection between the upper and lower monkeys whereof one end issecured to the upper monkey to one side of the working cylinder and theother end extends down, passes under a pulley on the lower monkey andthence up to the other side of the Working cylinder where it is securedto the upper monkey.

9. For driving tubular structures into the soil the combination of, atubular member, a tapered nose at the lower end thereof having drivingconnection with the tubular member, a frame on the top of the tubularmember carrying a depending fixed piston the rod of which is hollow, ahollow monkey constituting a working cylinder for the piston and guidedt0 slide vertically thereon, the Working chamber being provided betweenthe upper side of the piston and the underside of the hollow interior ofthe monkey, means for admitting steam down the hollow piston-rod to theworking cylinder through orifices provided at the piston end, a secondmonkey mounted within the tubular member immediately behind the nose ofthe same, two vertically disposed rods extending through the uppermonkey on Opposite sides of the cylinder of the same said rods beingscrew-threaded at. the upper ends and having threaded on them nuts andsprings operating between the nuts and the monkey for adjustment and aflexible connection extending from one end" of one rod within thetubular member down to vthe lower monkey where it passes under a pulleyon the same and up to the other rod to whose lower end it is secured.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ALEXANDER GEORGlEVITCl-l ROTINOFF.

